Tag Archives: Dan VanHassel

Lawson is a name that I have used to represent a diverse body of work and activities that I have engaged myself with over the last year and a half. The prime unifying element of all Lawson-based projects is the use of a specific system of pitch networks. Other Lawson projects include a duo with guitarist Jameson Swanagon, a series of pieces for solo saxophone, as well as a large ensemble (currently an octet) of electronic and acoustic sustaining instruments. The topic of this post will be on the recent developments of the large ensemble.

The newly formed “Lawson” ensemble performs original music inspired by the rich cultural heritage of the Lawsonite people. In performance the ensemble collectively improvises varying textures of complex, slowly shifting counterpoint. Through the use of pre-composed material, improvisation, and a specific vocabulary of conducting cues the performers actively engage in the discovery of new formations of melody and phrasing, with an emphasis on shapes and contours. Notable influences for the project include Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera music, Bill Frisell, Sun Ra, Anthony Braxton, and the improvisations of Lee Konitz and the “Tristano School.”

Notes on Lawson:

The contemporary people of Lawson are the descendants of an ancient civilization. For many generations the ancient Lawsonites lived at sea in ships, traveling and exploring the seemingly endless reaches of the ocean. They are believed to have had an acute instinctual awareness of direction, and never laid anchor anywhere, constantly sailing or drifting and only coming to land for supplies and repairs. The Lawsonites lived in tribes, each characterized by unique methods of shipbuilding and navigation techniques. Despite these distinctions, different tribes were thought to be friendly with each other, and would often travel together, although they would never follow the exact same routes.

After many ages of life at sea the Lawsonites suddenly decided to abandon their ships and leave the ocean. After traveling a great distance east over the Stawnee Mountain Range they came to inhabit their current location. While it has been forgotten exactly why the Lawsonites left, many believe a large oceanic storm decimated the majority of the population, and the few remaining people chose to leave the ocean forever. The descendants of these people have never seen the ocean.

Just like their ancestors, the modern-day Lawsonites continually move throughout the Northern region, only stopping out of necessity. The routes of the various Lawson tribes overlap, generally occupying the same territory, but each tribe has its own unique system of trails known only to that particular group. Some tribes prefer higher altitudes, while others favor terrain near sea level. Still, different tribes continue to travel together on occasion, in part as a celebration of the diversity of trails that the Lawsonites have created. The purpose of their constant movement is not to discover new regions or lands, but rather to find new ways of moving through the same region.

The Lawsonites have great reverence for their ancestors. Each tribe is known for its unique songs that are believed to date back to when their ancestors lived at sea. Some are curious as to whether or not there are still some tribes living at sea today. But they will most likely never know, as it is not in the nature of the Lawsonites to leave a region unless it is an issue of survival.